Welcome to MuchMusic’s media education website. We have designed this site to help you find out more about MuchMusic’s media education programming and initiatives, and about media literacy in general.

Media Education – why does it matter?

Studies show that youth spend more time than ever watching tv, exploring the internet, playing videogames and using new media, and yet very little time is spent educating youth to critically analyze these activities. As Father John Pungente, the founder of the Canadian Association of Media Education Organizations (C.A.M.E.O.), once asked: "We teach people to be literate about print. Why not about the media?"

Media Education – what is it?

“Media education is the process of teaching and learning about media; media literacy is the outcome - the knowledge and skills learners acquire.” (David Buckingham, Media Education: Literacy, Learning and Contemporary Culture) A media literate person can access, analyze, evaluate and communicate messages in a wide variety of forms, and is defined by the Canadian Association of Media Education Organizations (C.A.M.E.O.) as: "one who has an informed and critical understanding of the nature, techniques and impact of the mass media as well as the ability to produce media products."

To learn more, click on the “Key Concepts” button at the top of this page for the eight basic precepts of media literacy.

And for much more information about media education and extensive classroom resources, visit the Media Awareness Network website at www.media-awareness.ca